Thu 23 March 2023:
The UK has officially launched an independent investigation into allegations that British armed forces committed dozens of extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
The investigation, which was first announced in December, will also look into whether the UK military investigated allegations of unlawful killings of civilians by British forces adequately.
The inquiry was ordered by the UK government after lawyers filed legal challenges on behalf of the families of eight Afghans allegedly killed by British special forces during nighttime raids.
“MR HARRY! THE ONES YOU KILLED WERE NOT CHESS PIECES, THEY WERE HUMANS,” TALIBAN TELLS PRINCE HARRY
“It is clearly important that anyone who has broken the law is referred to the relevant authorities for investigation,” the inquiry’s leading senior judge, Charles Haddon-Cave, said on Wednesday.
“Equally, those who have done nothing wrong should rightly have the cloud of suspicion lifted from them,” he said. “This is critical, both for the reputation of the armed forces and the country.”
The independent inquiry, which Defence Secretary Ben Wallace commissioned, will also review whether the deaths were part of a wider pattern of extrajudicial killings by British forces in Afghanistan.
“We live in hope that those responsible will one day be held to account,” a member of the Noorzai family, one of the families involved in the case, said at the time.
“Over 10 years ago, I lost two of my brothers, my young brother-in-law and a childhood friend, all boys with a life ahead of them,” the family member said. “I was handcuffed, beaten and interrogated outside our family home by British soldiers.
“My relatives and friend were each shot in the head as they sat drinking tea.”
A member of the Saifullah family added that they were “extremely happy that there are people who value the loss of life of my family, of Afghans, enough to investigate”.
An independent statutory inquiry has been established to investigate and report on allegations of wrongdoing in Afghanistan.
We are committed to supporting our people. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans will be entitled to legal and pastoral support https://t.co/EUEHQweBsv pic.twitter.com/PTX51AvDp7
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 15, 2022
Speaking on Wednesday, Tessa Gregory, partner at the law firm Leigh Day, said her clients looked forward to helping the investigative team “as they seek to establish the truth, which has been hidden for too long”.
“Throughout years of secrecy and cover-ups, our clients have fought tirelessly for justice for their loved ones’ deaths, and they hope that a bright light will now be shone on the practices and command of UK special forces in Afghanistan,” she said.
The law firm said Ministry of Defence documents showed officers had widespread knowledge about unlawful killings by UK special forces in Afghanistan but did not report the information to military police.
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Separately, a BBC investigation last year claimed that from 2010 to 2011, one SAS unit may have killed dozens of people, including unarmed civilians, in Helmand province during “kill or capture” raids to detain Taliban commanders and disrupt bomb-making networks.
According to the BBC, the military chain of command concealed concerns about the unit.
Unarmed Afghan men were routinely shot dead “in cold blood” by SAS troops during nighttime raids, and weapons were planted on them to justify the crimes, according to a four-year investigation conducted by the broadcaster.
At the time, defense officials dismissed the BBC report as inaccurate, claiming that investigators had already looked into the alleged misconduct and found insufficient evidence to charge anyone.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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